Shirani Rajapakse
Where do we go from here? A train goes up a train comesdown. We pass in the night. Silencericochets through the rooms. You sit aimless in the corner. The leaveson the mango tree at the far end of thegarden rustle words to you. The moon stretches a finger to play with the curtains shiveringin the wind humming throughleaves beyond carrying stories to you of things happening on the other side of town.He prepares to leave for another nightof revelry with someone new. The low growl of a car in the distance then all else is asit was; still. Even the crickets havestopped their gossip in shock at what he did. But does anyone else care? Poolsof warm water break their banksand flood, washing your face clean yet it cannot wash away what’s inside. That staysblocked, the key has disappeared. Youcannot break the lock. The train passes through the empty station. The lone cat opens a sleepy eyeand yawns. The sounds move in thenight and get lost in the darkness beyond. Shirani Rajapakse is a Sri Lankan poet and author. She won the Cha “Betrayal” Poetry Contest 2013. Her collection of short stories, Breaking News (Vijitha Yapa 2011) was shortlisted for the Gratiaen Award. Shirani’s work appears, or is forthcoming in, Channels, Earthen Lamp Journal, Poets Basement, Spark, Berfrois, Dove Tales, Buddhist Poetry Review, About Place Journal, Skylight 47, The Smoking Poet, New Verse News, The Occupy Poetry Project and anthologies Poems for Freedom, Voices Israel Poetry Anthology 2012, Song of Sahel, Occupy Wall Street Poetry Anthology, World Healing World Peace and Every Child Is Entitled to Innocence. She blogs rather infrequently at http://shiranirajapakse.wordpress.com.